Collisions
by steelers743
Summary: Right when it seems Nightwing's life is over, he is given a second chance to become more.
1. The Hospital

Dick was waiting restlessly in the hospital. He had never felt so helpless and torn apart in his life. Every time he closed his eyes, it all came back to him.

He was back in Gotham coming all the way from Bludhaven to see Bruce, Alfred, and of course Barbara. The night Dick arrived, Bruce was getting ready for a mandatory company dinner party to keep up appearances. Because of Bruce's plans, Dick saw this as an opportunity to volunteer for patrol and get some alone time with Barbara. The night had been quiet and Dick and Barbara didn't really talk to each other much which was unusual. It wasn't until about 2 o' clock a.m. that the two noticed activity. Both Dick and Barbara hopped over the edge of the building they were staked out on to handle what seemed like just another intimidation visit.

Reaching the ground, the two scared off a group of thugs that were assaulting an elderly man. With the thugs long gone and an elderly man in need of help, Dick and Barbara moved in to assist the man. Once Dick turned the man around and saw him, he knew that he and Barbara were in danger and had to get out of the area now.

The man was dead but the part that really worried Dick was that the man wore a permanent smile and his eyes stuck open. Before Dick could call Bruce, gas sprayed from somewhere in the man's jacket which almost immediately knocked the two out.

Dick was still staring at the ground until he heard loud running. This caused him to look up which caused only more dread. Commissioner Gordon was here and was coming right at Dick. Dick stood up to meet the Commissioner.

"How is she? What happened?" asked Commissioner Gordon frantically.

Dick could barely look the Commissioner in the eyes. "I'm...I'm... I'm so sorry. She's in surgery but the doctors aren't very optimistic."

Commissioner Gordon fell to his knees. His daughter, his baby girl, was dying. And the worst thing was that he couldn't do anything about it. Gordon stood up and simply asked "What happened?"

Dick woke up in a solitary room in what looked like an asylum. He checked his surroundings but stopped as he heard a voice that turned his bones to ice. Turning around, Dick saw the one and only Joker outside of the glass.

"Well well. If it isn't Bats' little sidekick. Gotta say, not very impressed with the costume."

Dick banged against the glass to no avail.

"You know, I was expecting the infamous Batman to be my prize, but I guess you and little Miss Bat will have to do."

Dick's eyes widened with horror which the Joker noticed immediately.

"Oh yeah, I knew I was forgetting something. Harley get your ass out here and bring the prize."

As ordered, Harley Quinn appeared out of a hallway and entered dragging Barbara who was bleeding through her mask along with a deep cut to her leg and her side.

"Now, first, let's examine the prize" said the Joker as Harley held up Barbara.

Dick continued to strike at the glass mercilessly with tears beginning to form. "Don't you touch her. If you're going to hurt someone, hurt me. Take me. TAKE ME" screamed Dick.

The Joker responded by giving a large, disgusting, smile. "Well, I would, but you didn't say please so...". A gunshot went off and Barbara fell to the floor. Harley be a dear and let bird brains here out after a bit will you." After what seemed like an eternity of attacking glass, the door finally opened.

Dick ran to Barbara who was laying in a pool of her own blood. He found where the bullet was and realized that all he could do was to get her to the hospital.

After explaining how everything happened, the doctor eventually came out and approached Dick and the Commissioner. Commissioner Gordon practically attacked the doctor to find out his daughter's condition.

"How is she. Doctor please tell me."

The Doctor looked sadly at the Commissioner to describe the situation. "The patient has lost an immense amount of blood. It's actually a miracle that she's still alive. I believe that she is going to survive, but... the bullet hit her spine and has left her paralyzed from the waist down. As for the other injuries she obtained, it will take time, but they should heal in time. You may go in to see her if you wish." The doctor left leaving Dick and the Commissioner to rush in to see Barbara.

Bruised, beaten, and broken, Barbara lay in her hospital bed. "I'll kill him. I'm going to find the Joker and I'm gonna kill him" said the Commissioner darkly.

"It's impossible to do so now" responded Dick.

Commissioner Gordon turned to Dick. "What did you do?"


	2. An Oppurtunity

"What do you mean it's impossible to kill the Joker?" asked Commissioner Gordon in a angered tone.

Dick sighed. "Because I already did. After getting Barbara to the hospital, I knew that this was the last straw. A tracer that went off Barbara's suit and onto the Joker which activated when I got her here. I followed the tracer and found the Joker waiting for me at a warehouse downtown. The twisted fuck wanted me there to see if I had what it took to do what Batman couldn't. He wouldn't stop laughing about shooting Barbara so I lost it and punched him over and over again. When I was done, I choked him to death."

Commissioner Gordon was speechless. He didn't know how to feel. Should he be disappointed and condemn Nightwing, or should he give in to the emotion he wanted to the most. Graciousness. In the midst of the confusion, neither of the two noticed that Barbara's eyes were open and she had just heard Dick's surprising confession. It was then that Bruce Wayne walked into the hospital room and locked the door. When he turned, he focused his glare on Dick.

"So that's what you are now? A killer? I thought I taught you to use restraint. You were like a son to me."

Dick looked at the floor. "Our relationship hasn't changed. I just had a moment of weakness. He almost killed Barbara".

"Don't you dare try to justify you actions. And our relationship has changed. You are no longer welcome in Wayne Manor. You are no longer welcome as a member of my family" Bruce stated.

Dick couldn't believe what he was hearing.

"And as for the Joker, I intercepted your tracker transmission and made it just in time to revive him."

Dick's eyes widened. "You bastard. After all he's done."

Before Bruce could respond, the three men heard a quiet voice. "Barbara shuffled in bed and turned to face everyone. "Could everyone but Dick leave? I just need to talk to him really quick."

The Commissioner was hesitant, but he and Bruce accepted her request. When the two left, Dick moved close to the bed and knelt down.

"Babs I'm so sorry. This is my fault. If I" Barbara interrupted Dick by raising her hand.

"You killed the Joker. The Dick Grayson I know and love wouldn't think twice about killing. I just... I don't think that I can be with someone like that. I'm sorry but this can't go on." Tears were running down both Barbara and Dick's faces.

"Babs, please. We can work this out."

Barbara shook her head. "No, we can't. And I need you to leave now."

Dick stayed on the floor crying for about a minute before getting up and leaving. He didn't feel like talking so he kept walking to a hotel nearby. Before he made it, a cop car pulled up and two officers got out.

"Dick Grayson?" asked the cop on the right.

"Yeah?" asked Dick suspiciously.

"Turn around and put your hands behind your back" ordered the cop as he pulled out the handcuffs.

Dick's mind was beginning to race as he was loaded into the car. As the police car passed the hospital, Dick saw Bruce standing outside of the hospital watching the ordeal. That's when it came to him. Bruce was so infuriated about Dick killing the Joker that he turned him in. Dick couldn't believe this. All he could was look out the window as he was driven to the precinct.

Dick zoned out through most of the interrogation. His whole life had been shattered. The man he once considered to be a father had disowned him. Everyone in the Wayne family now saw him as a murderer. And worst of all, the woman he loved had stopped loving him. His life was over. Before he knew it he was in a cage in Arkham. All of the worst criminals were put there by him and Batman. The only reason he wasn't dead already was because no one knew he was Nightwing. Dick was sitting on his cot, staring at the wall when he heard a sound. A woman in formal business attire was standing outside of the cage.

"Dick Grayson. I've been meaning to speak with you for quite some time now."

Dick examined the woman. Around 5 foot eight, 180 pounds, mid forties. "Well, you've got me."

"That I do Mr. Grayson. Now I would like to talk to you about a proposition I have in mind which require your expertise. You see, I need not only Dick Grayson, but Nightwing as well".

Dick nearly jumped up. "Who the hell are you lady and what do you know?"

The woman smirked. "My name is Amanda Waller and I know everything that I need to. So are you interested?"


	3. Meet the Team

The door to the cell opened and Dick stepped out. Waller started walking out and Dick hastily followed.

"So why are you letting me out again?" asked Dick.

"I have a...group of individuals. Very unique individuals who just so happen to need a leader. From what I've seen, you boast an impressive arsenal of skills. Top peak form and on the verge of genius level intelligence. And let's not forget that you have more crime fighting experience than most of the members of the Justice League. I never came forward with my proposition because you always seemed to rely solely on the Batman's opinion. That is until your recent mishap. That's when it was made evident that you are now capable of living and fighting without Batman."

"You preach a choir lady I'll give you that. So where is this so called team?"

"Right in here" said Waller as she typed in her key code into the security panel.

The door opened to reveal a rather large room. Dick immediately noticed the individuals that Waller spoke of.

Waller stepped forward. "Listen up. Each of you were chosen for very specific reasons. This world is in danger and no single individual will be able to protect the world for long. This plan has been in observation stage up until now. This is Nightwing. The leader of your team. Get to know each other. You all will be spending quite a lot of time together."

And with that, Amanda walked out of the room.

Everyone's eyes focused on Dick. The first one to introduce themselves was an alien woman. Despite the fact that her skin was green, she was incredibly beautiful. But it was the red hair that really intrigued Dick. He didn't know what it was about red hair, but it always got to him.

"Hello Nightwing. I am pleased to meet you. My name is Koriand'r. But Starfire has recently become a favorite of others so Starfire is fine." said Starfire with a smile.

A short green guy stepped forward next. "Sup. Call me Beast Boy. And not to toot my own horn but I'm probably the strongest one here. Now if you're cool, I'll let you hang with me and show you how to pick up some real women." said Beast Boy with a grin.

A large man stepped out of the corner of the room and just frowned. "I don't know why Waller put you in charge. You're a pipsqueak. What are you gonna do in a real fight huh?"

Dick could feel his face getting hot with anger. "Do you wanna find out?" asked Dick daring the man to make a move.

Starfire and Beast Boy quickly separated the two. "That's Cyborg. He can be a little bit of a hot head when he's cranky" answered Beast Boy.

Cyborg pushed Beast Boy off of him. "Don't speak for me. As for you Nightwing, keep to yourself and I won't kick your ass." And with that Cyborg walked to the back of the room.

There was only one team member left standing in the dark.

"Come Raven. Join us in the introductory ritual." said Starfire.

Raven floated forward. "Hi." Raven turned and returned to her former spot.

Dick regained his composure. "Okay well, I'm Nightwing and it's nice to meet most of you." said Dick as he frowned at Cyborg. "I want to make it clear that we are a team and no one member plays a bigger role than anyone else. Now lets get some sleep." Dick turned to the wall deep in thought. He'd figure all of this out tomorrow. For now, all he wanted was a good night's sleep.


	4. Training Day

Dick woke up to his alarm on his wristwatch. 4 a.m. Dick got out of bed and suited up. Time to go to work. Dick dragged himself to each team member's room while rubbing his eyes.

First was Starfire.

Dick opened the door. "Starfire, time to get up. We start training in twenty minutes. You've got ten to get your gear on and eat."

Starfire opened her eyes and rose out of bed.

When Starfire appeared into Dick's line of sight, his jaw completely dropped. Starfire was completely naked and floating three feet in front of Dick.

"Yes Nightwing. I will be at the training room at the designated time." Starfire smiled and turned to get her gear.

Dick, still not believing what had just happened, backed into the hallway and moved on to Beast Boy's room. Dick opened the door and turned on the light to Beast Boy's room. "Beast Boy, time to get up. You've got twenty minutes to eat and get to the training room, let's go."

Beast Boy groaned and began to get out of bed.

Dick walked down to the next room and immediately felt a chill upon reaching the door. He then heard Raven's voice in his head saying "I will be in the training room. Leave now." After getting Raven out of his head, he moved on to the room he was putting off.

Dick opened the next door and entered a room filled with machines and computers. He walked forward towards Cyborg who sat in the center of the room.

Cyborg opened his eyes. "Who said you can come in here"?

Dick immediately felt the initial anger that he felt upon meeting Cyborg. "Get up and get to the training room within twenty minutes."

Cyborg snorted. "I'll get there when I get there. Don't tell me what to do."

Dick took a step forward. "Let me tell you something. You are not in charge here, I am. You do not decide what happens here, I do. I am the leader of this team for a reason. That being said, you have twenty minutes to get to the training room." Dick didn't wait for a response. He turned and left.

Dick was busy studying dossiers on each of the team members when they entered the training room. It was a large room with titanium walls which was probably a good idea considering the "abilities" of his teammates. Dick had to admit that it was a little overwhelming and the fact that he was supposed to lead a group of people with superpowers not only increased the amount of pressure he felt, but was also bringing himself to face his own mortality. Was this why Bruce was as paranoid as he normally was? No. Bruce Wayne meant nothing to him. He was the past, what he had now was the future.

"Okay everyone, line up" Dick ordered noting that Cyborg was the only missing member. "Today, I will be examining your abilities so that I can plan out a correct fitness regiment for each of you. I will rate your performance on a scale from 1 to 10 but it will not be a definite score. You will be able to raise your score as you work harder. I expect each of you to show tremendous effort and determination because your training will not be easy. Now, Starfire, you're up first" finished Dick.

Starfire came forward with a smile. Dick had set up targets while the team was getting up so that he would be able to examine the powers that each member expressed much easier. In the instant that she had stepped up, her eyes began to glow as she began to levitate off the ground.

Starfire took off, flying at amazing speeds and at the same time firing blasts from her hands which were also glowing at the targets. As she was increasing the speed of her flying, Dick noticed that she was flying lower and lower towards the ground. Eventually, in the midst of charging a blast from her hand, her eyes stopped glowing and she fell face first into the ground. She quickly stood up, regained her posture, and waited for the results of her examination.

Dick thought for a moment and announced her score. "Seven. It's a good start, but you need to learn not to use up all of your energy when beginning an attack. How you finish is crucial. We should also work a little more on you aerial combat. Other than that, good way to start out. Beast Boy, you're up."

"Aw yeah, let me show you how a real hero does it" gloated Beast Boy. Ugh, Dick had heard enough of this from Jason when he was Robin. He never really realized that he hadn't thought about Jason since killing the Joker.

Beast Boy didn't even wait for Dick to signal before he transformed himself into a giant ape. Dick looked him over and shrugged. Confused, Beast Boy transformed into a lion. Still, Dick was unimpressed. He had seen people who could run around the world in five seconds, people who lived underwater, and even beings from other planets. Surprises didn't come often in his line of work.

"The transforming is one thing, show me how it helps us in a battle" Dick requested.

Beast Boy transformed into a giant eagle and flew fast, slashing the targets one by one. After finishing, he transformed back to his regular state in front of Dick. "So, I'm thinking maybe a twenty right?" Beast Boy guessed.

"A few things. 20 is not between 1 and 10. You showed great power, but your response time needs work. I'll give you a six."

"Fine" responded Beast Boy who slumped back in line.

Before Dick could say the word Raven, he began to receive an excruciating headache. The words appeared in his head immediately after the headache began. "I am Raven." "Okay. Okay. Good job Raven" responded Dick. When the headache left him, Dick met Raven's eyes and she began to stagger. There it was. She couldn't focus on more than one subject.

"Okay team. Good job. I'll come up with the individual training regiments and we'll start training tomorrow" finished Dick.

As the team began to exit, the entrance doors opened and through them appeared Cyborg. "Am I late?" Cyborg asked.

Dick stepped forward, tempted to start a shouting fight, but he was the team leader and had to stay calm. "No. Let's see what you've got" responded Dick.

Cyborg walked past Dick and stood in the center of the room. Cyborg pointed his arm at the targets and fired an electric beam. With one blast, all of the targets were destroyed.

It took a while before Dick responded. "Good job, I will take your skills under consideration and get your regiment."

Cyborg nodded. "Okay team, let's go ahead and relax" finished Dick.


	5. No More Hiding

While the team was relaxing in the lounge; Beast Boy and Cyborg watching a movie, Starfire staring at everything in the fridge, and Raven meditating, Dick decided to go take a shower. Walking in the bathroom and turning on the shower, Dick wanted to just leave everything out of his head. The water felt good against his aching back muscles. Right when Dick began to close his eyes and relax, the alert that he had on the sink began to go off.

Hastily walking out of the bathroom after barely having enough time to dry, Dick re-entered the lounge very frustrated.

"Everyone up. Emergency ten blocks from here. So battle faces everybody" stated Dick.

Within the next two minutes, the entire team had gotten up and were closing in. Starfire, Raven, and Beast Boy had decided to fly while Cyborg took his car and Nightwing his new and refurbished motorcycle. A present from Waller. Reaching the threat, Dick immediately recognized the attacker.

"Shit" Dick accidentally blurted out.

The team quickly followed up with a unified "What is that" throughout the radio. Dick sighed. "That...thing is called Blockbuster. Must've tracked me here" Dick answered, rubbing his neck. In the midst of the Titans' conversation, Blockbuster looked up from the car he was busy turning into scrap metal to see the whole reason he'd come to Jump City. Nightwing.

"Nightwing" roared Blockbuster. Nightwing sat back on his cycle. "Hey Blockbuster, long time huh. Um, I'll get back to you because I was kinda in the middle of a conversation and I don't wanna be rude" Nightwing responded, turning back towards the team. This action caused Blockbuster to lose control of his rage and come charging at him with all of his might. Nightwing sighed. Calmly getting off the bike, he took out two silver and blue metal disks and threw them twenty feet in front of him. Cyborg, Raven, Starfire, and Beast Boy got ready to pounce, but Nightwing put his hand up to stop them. Blockbuster was almost to Nightwing when he stepped on a disc. Volts of electricity immediately shot through Blockbuster's body causing him to collapse on sight. Nightwing smiled and muttered, "Works every time".

Back at the tower, after Dick was done dealing with the team asking him question after question in admiration, he stood in the kitchen smiling. Even Cyborg gave him a "Not bad" before going to bed. Once again, Dick was beginning to relax before getting a call on the main phone in the lounge. Dick walked over, not knowing who was calling. "Hello?" groaned Dick.

"Nightwing, this is Amanda Waller. I saw you in action today, I'm glad I didn't warn you he was coming. But today, you and your team came out of the shadows meaning identities must be placed. You were raised by Bruce Wayne so you're civilian persona will be Dick Grayson, CEO of Grayson Enterprises. We will have to reveal you to Bruce Wayne to eliminate him from getting in your way so I've arranged for you and the team to make an appearance at a gala being held at Wayne Manor. This is where Dick Grayson comes into the light. We've come to far to have the Justice League or Batman for that matter come between us and our goal. You probably have questions but I am not inclined to answer them so goodnight Nightwing."

The phone was hung up.

"Perfect" Dick said to himself sarcastically as he slumped off to bed.

That night, Dick suffered yet another one of his usual nightmares. It seemed that every time he fell asleep, the nightmares came. It started with him swinging in the air back at the circus. Feeling so free and so happy with his family. Then it began. He swung up to his usual spot where he would wait for his father like every night before. He was ready as his dad reached his peak, but that's when the lines snapped. His father and his mother both fall to their deaths, leaving him helpless and alone. The nightmare usually ends at this point, but more have been occurring. After his parents' deaths, it switches over to him helplessly watching Barbara Gordon, the woman he loves, get shot in the spine changing both of their lives. The nightmare progresses to Dick finding Jason Todd beaten with a crowbar on the floor in an abandoned warehouse. He's alive until a hidden and specifically placed gun goes off blowing a bullet through the head of Jason. His blood is everywhere, on the floor, on the walls, and all over Dick. The Joker's laughter is the last thing he hears before he wakes up in a cold sweat.

Panting, Dick looks at the time. 4:30 A.M. Time to get up if they're gonna get to Bruce's gala tonight.


End file.
